Italian poultry giant Amadori buys plant-based brand Unconventional

What's the deal? Amadori, one of Italy's largest food groups, has acquired Unconventional Srl — the plant-based subsidiary of dairy cooperative Granarolo. The deal, completed on May 8, gives Amadori full ownership of the "Unconventional 100% Vegetale" brand and a production facility in Coriano, near Rimini. Financial terms were not disclosed.

The Unconventional range includes burgers, meat-free sausages, nuggets, cutlets, strips, ribs, and organic tofu products. All staff at the Coriano plant will transfer to Amadori, which employs more than 9,400 people across Italy.

CEO Denis Amadori said the acquisition "represents a significant acceleration in our growth, enabling us to become one of the top three branded players in the plant-based processed foods sector."

Why now? Amadori, founded in 1969 and based in Cesena, posted revenues of €1.72B in 2024 and holds roughly 30% of the Italian poultry market. It has been diversifying beyond poultry — including a 70% stake in ready-to-eat specialist Forno d'Oro in 2023 — and already carries its own plant-based line.

For Granarolo, the sale closes a chapter that began in 2020 when it launched Unconventional as an in-house venture. A recent leadership change at the cooperative, with Stanislao Fabbrino replacing Gianpiero Calzolari as chairman, has prompted a strategic pivot. "We are focusing on the milk and dairy products market," Fabbrino said.

What could go wrong? Europe's plant-based sector has cooled since its pandemic-era hype. Consumer adoption has plateaued in several markets, and some major players have scaled back. Amadori will need its national logistics and distribution network to give Unconventional the reach it lacked under Granarolo — but there's no guarantee that broader infrastructure alone will reignite growth in a sluggish category.

The signal: This deal illustrates a broader pattern: legacy meat and dairy companies are picking up plant-based assets at what may be discounted valuations, while the original owners retreat to their core businesses. Rather than startups driving the category forward, established food conglomerates are betting they can make plant-based work through scale, shelf access, and supply chain muscle.

Whether that bet pays off depends on whether Italian consumers — and European shoppers more broadly — are ready to buy more plant-based protein, or whether the category remains a niche.

Read more: vegconomist.com